Favourite Northern Hemisphere Objects

[SteveInNZ]

While people are listing their favourite things, what objects would you put on your list to observe (photograph) if you were heading to the top half of the planet ?

[ausastronomer (John Bambury)]

Originally Posted by SteveInNZ

While people are listing their favourite things, what objects would you put on your list to observe (photograph) if you were heading to the top half of the planet ?

The first target I ever observed through a telescope from the Northern Hemisphere was M51 through Larry Mitchell's 36" Obsession.

That view will be etched on my brain forever. It is possibly the single best telescopic view I have ever had. Either that, or Eta Carina through our 3RF 12" binocular telescope rate as my #1.

Cheers,
John B

[JB80 (Jarrod)]

For it's sheer usefulness it has to be Polaris. It may not be the top of the list photographically or in the observing stakes but it's one star you will end up spending a bit of time seeing, maybe more so than others.

[Camelopardalis (Dunk)]

The Double Cluster (NGC869/884) is really lovely object and Cassiopeia is quite rich with open clusters, like the Owl Cluster (NGC457). Kind of miss both of them, and just having the Plough shapes in the sky, but I think it's a small price to pay for all the southern sky goodness

[Jon (Jonathan)]

As a globular fan, M13 is up on my list. Although I have imaged it very low on the horizon from here.

All those nebulae in Cygnus and thereabouts.

[barx1963 (Malcolm)]

For objects that cannot be seen (or are at least very difficult to see!) from here in Colac, M51 easily rates as my favorite. Observed it at 9000ft on Mauna Kea last year in a C11 then through a little refractor (I think it was 80 or 100mm). The night was so clear NGC 5194 was even clear in the little scope. In the C11 you could see all this structure in the arms, lots of little star forming Ha regions.

Malcolm